Trying to be Leader
by bffimagine
Summary: I tried, didn't I?
1. Failure

Bffimagine: I've got a splitting headache...

Kai: Ha! Now you know how I feel! Smiles triumphantly

Silence

Kai: Are you okay?

Trying to be Leader

Kai fist broke the glass in his hand, many splinters cutting into the skin, drawing blood that dripped onto the floor.

"Kai, please," Rei cried desperately, trying to make Kai open his hand so he could get all the fragments of glass out of the tissues.

"Tyson! You shouldn't have said anything. Kai tried his best!" Kenny failed to convince Tyson he was doing something wrong.

"So? He didn't try hard enough."

"Take that back Tyson! He didn't want this to..." Rei was cut off when Kai held his good hand out to silence them all. To all of their surprise, tears streamed freely from Kai's eyes. He muttered something under his breath, and left the room without another word uttered.

"You're a FAILURE Kai! You shouldn't have ever been leader in the first place!" Tyson's voice rang through the hall haunting Kai as he walked toward his room.

Once out of sight from the others, Kai loathingly glared at his right hand, which was bloody at the moment. He ripped out the pieces of glass, widening the wounds further until his hand was torn into shreds. Letting all the strength he had flood out of his body, he slumped against the door of his room and bowed his head. The silver part of his hair soaked up the blood it touched, while his tears made his hand sting.

'Tyson is right. I should've never been anointed leader.' Kai closed his eyes and sat in silence.

"You never should have said that Tyson! I know that it isn't true, and I know YOU know it isn't true. Why did you have to blow up at him like that? We're only alive to have this conversation because Kai risked his life to save us!" Rei was shouting at Tyson in pure rage, unfitted to his personality.

"It's his fault we got into that mess anyway!" Tyson yelled back, even though he knew he was on the losing side of this argument.

"I can't stand this. I'm going after Kai. I wouldn't blame him if he hated you about now." Rei's words stung Tyson deeply, but he shrugged it off as if it were nothing.

"Kai," Rei said softly, approaching his leader as if he was walking on eggshells.

The two-tone haired blader didn't respond.

Taking initiative, Rei carefully took Kai's injured hand and examined it carefully. To his surprise, all of the glass was gone. But as usual, Kai didn't take the shards out with care; this was evident because the wounds were much more severe than they would've been otherwise.

"I'm sorry I let you down Rei. Tell Tyson and the other's I'm sorry. Tell them I failed. I failed them as a friend, and as a leader," the low, monotone sound of Kai's voice whispered.

"You didn't let us down, and you know it." Rei lifted Kai's chin so his gaze was directly at him. The pain in the deep crimson orbs was immeasurable, bottled up and condensed into severity.

It was difficult for Rei to hold the gaze for a long time, the hurt he saw seemed to flow into his soul as well. He leaned forward and planted a soft kiss onto Kai's lips, pulling away reluctantly but satisfied.

Kai was slightly shocked and he could only watch dumbfounded when Rei walked away. He ran his fingers gently across his lips, wondering if it was real, what just happened ...

Crawling into his bed, Kai let his body shut down and rest. He fell asleep before his head hit the pillow...

"You," Kai muttered through gritted teeth. "What do you want with my team?"

"Who said anything about your TEAM? I'm only interested in YOU!" Boris replied.

"Then leave them out of this!" Kai could feel his blood boil.

"But that's what makes this so fun!" Twisted laughter emitted from Boris' lips.

"Fun? This is just a game to you, sick bastard! When I get out of this, I'll make sure you never see another day's dawn."

"Well, let me raise the stakes just a little bit more, what do you say? If you win against Tala in a beyblade match, then you can keep your friends alive and, say, hmm... you can have your freedom. If you lose... well, that is if you LIVE after you lose, I get to keep you, Dranzer, and kill your friends. Hmm?"

"What makes you think I want to take part in this little game of yours?"

"Oh," Boris smirked, "You won't exactly have a choice..."

Metal walls encased Kai and Boris in the room where they were standing. Tala walked in before the third wall closed, leaving only one wall glass so Kai could see the terrified expressions on his team mates faces and hear their pleas.

"But you're forgetting something Boris," Kai smirked back.

"What would that be?" Boris inquired smugly.

"A dish to blade in. Isn't that obvious?"

"Heh heh. Well, you might find this match very, ahem, different?" Boris smiled a twisted, evil smile. "You'll find out Kai. You're smart, more like a genius... you'll figure it out. Three, two, one, LET IT RIP!"

Tala and Kai immediately pulled the rip cords of their blades and started the match. Kai caught on to the objective of this particular beybattle; hit the blader until he either surrenders or dies.

Kai's vision was blurred from fatigue and bloodloss, pain pulsing in every bit of Kai's body. His flesh was torn into almost nothing. Blood covered his entirety. He couldn't see anything but the red liquid. It was all over him, the ground, walls, ceiling, and his opponent.

"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANY MORE!" Tala shrieked, passing out into the knee-deep pool of blood.

Boris gritted his teeth. "Looks like you can keep your life. And beyblade, and team mates. Now leave before I do kill you!"

"Ha. I suppose you aren't all you're cracked up to be Boris." Kai left without another word, walking away from the abbey with his team mates.

"Kai! Are you alright? You're practically covered in blood! You're hurt badly! We have to get you some medical help or you could die!" Kenny started to fret the moment Kai stepped out of the door.

"Leave me alone. I'll be fine." Contradicting these exact words, Kai collapsed. Rei lunged forward just in time to catch him as he fell.

"You guys get back to the hotel. I'm going to get Kai to a hospital." Rei took the role a leader now that Kai was down for the count.

"We should go with you Rei!" Max argued, but with one dark glare from Rei, he left with the others in a hurry.

Once the others had gone, Rei hugged Kai close. He held him tightly, muttering over and over again, "I love you Kai. You can pull through. I know you can."

Picking Kai up bridal style, Rei ran off toward the closest hospital.

(Two days after)

"I love you Rei. I do." Rei looked down at Kai in surprise. Kai had recovered serious injuries in forty-eight hours. He was a living miracle to the doctors.

"You heard me? I thought you were unconscious."

"Isn't it amazing what my ears can pick up?"

Rei smiled. "Let's get back to the hotel then."

(Back in the hotel)

"Took you long enough," Tyson spat as soon as Kai and Rei walked through the door. "You got us into a huge mess two days ago Kai. If you want to go out and try to kill yourself, go ahead. But don't get us caught up in the balance."

"I didn't TELL Boris to come after me! I didn't WANT him to get you guys into that mess. I actually TRIED to get you out of it!" Kai bellowed back.

"Shut up Tyson! Kai got us out of that mess. He risked his life!" Rei hollered, infuriated Tyson would say something so cruel.

Max stood up and poured Kai a glass of water. He handed it to him and whispered "Don't mind Tyson. He's just mad that you got us stuck in that room, wondering whether we'd live or not."

Kai fist broke the glass in his hand, many splinters cutting into the skin, drawing blood that dripped onto the floor.

"Kai, please," Rei cried desperately, trying to make Kai open his hand so he could get all the fragments of glass out of the tissues.

"Tyson! You shouldn't have said anything. Kai tried his best!" Kenny failed to convince Tyson he was doing something wrong.

"So? He didn't try hard enough."

'He's right. I could've gotten them out of the entire scenario if I just agreed to stay in the abbey. They wouldn't have had to suffer the pain of fear. It's my fault I failed them for my freedom. Their lives were more important. I AM a failure.'

"Take that back Tyson! He didn't want this to..." Rei was cut off when Kai held his good hand out to silence them all. To all of their surprise, tears streamed freely from Kai's eyes. He muttered something under his breath, and left the room without another word uttered.

"KAI! WAKE UP!" Rei yelled.

Kai woke with a start, cold sweat running down his fevered face. He felt sick. His head was spinning; his hand had started bleeding worse than it was before.

"Are you okay? You were holding your head and screaming in your sleep..."

"Just a nightmare. I'm okay. You can go back to bed. Thanks for waking me up."

Still thinking about his nightmarish recount of his 'failure', Kai tried to go back to sleep. He found it was virtually impossible.

Just as Kai was finally drifting to sleep, he noticed someone coming into the room he shared with Rei. Something glinted in the figure's hand, and seconds later, Kai felt all-too-familiar pain wrack every nerve in his body. His body was being slashed to shreds. But who would do this? Through all of his own blood, Kai noted dark blue hair...

bffimagine: My head hurts so much...

Kai: I hope you don't pass out before finishing the next chapter...


	2. Decisions, Decisions

Bffimagine: Okay! I'm back now! My head doesn't hurt anymore!

Kai: Thank goodness…

Rei awoke to the sound of blood splattering heavily to the ground. He opened his eyes immediately when he heard Kai's strangled cry of pain.

"KAI!" Rei yelled, but he couldn't see very well because he was still very tired. He managed to glance at the clock and read it; 2:14 am. 'Who is that person? He has a knife… He's hurting Kai… I can't see well with all of this blood… I think I need to throw up…'

Kai heard Rei yell his name, but was in too much pain to answer. The knife just kept ripping at him; slashing open every aspect until nothing was left uncut. He felt the warm, sickening trickle of blood down his spine.

Barely alive, Kai opened one eye enough to see the midnight blue hair of his attacker. This blue-haired figure then took a heavy, metal object and hit Kai's head as hard as it could. Kai heard a loud 'CRACK' before his world turned black.

Rei managed to wake up, after slipping around to the blood that soaked the floor. The walls were so thick the other bladers and Kenny didn't hear a sound, but Rei had heard it all. He DID share the room with Kai, and at any point would hear something.

'Who is that?' He asked himself, steadying his slipping feet on the edge of his bed. 'Blue hair…'

"TYSON!" Rei screamed, pouncing rather cat-like on Kai's assaulter, whom Rei thought was his friend.

"Rei? GET OFF ME!" The attacker replied harshly.

"NO! YOU'RE TRYING TO KILL KAI!"

"WHY WOULDN'T I?"

"WHAT DID HE EVER DO TO YOU?"

"HE'S A BASTARD! THAT'S WHAT!"

"HE SAVED US ALL MORE TIMES THAN YOU CAN COUNT! YOU KNOW IT TYSON!"

"NAME ONE!"

"HE SAVED US FROM THE ABBEY!"

"YEAH? WELL KENNY COULD'VE GOTTEN US OUT!"

"WE'D BE DEAD BY THEN!"

"WELL, KAI'LL BE DEAD ABOUT NOW!"

"WHAT DID YOU DO!"

"If he doesn't die from the concussion I gave him, he'll die from the injuries. Or both." Tyson's mouth twisted into a blood lusting smile.

"KAI! Wake up! Don't fall asleep! Please!" Rei started to panic soon after Tyson's full account of what he did to Kai.

"Rei? I can't…" Kai whispered weakly.

"YES YOU CAN! STAY AWAKE!"

"I can't…"

Tyson smirked again. Rei closed his eyes in disgust.

"Stay awake! We can't lose you Kai! We can't!"

"He won't live and you know it!" Tyson laughed, "He's just about gone. Say your last words now KAI!"

"Rei," Kai murmured softly, "I love you."

Kai's blood red eyes closed and his breathing slowed. Kai had fought his last.

"Don't die. Please don't die."

Tyson's laughter increased, "YOU SEE REI? NO ONE LIVES FOREVER, EVEN COLD PEOPLE LIKE KAI!"

"SHUT UP TYSON!" Rei hollered. He eyes turned a demonic red, and he cracked his fingers. Lunging toward Tyson, he pinned the larger boy down in one swift movement.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING REI?" Max shouted, horrified at what he saw. Rei looked murderous and Tyson had a look of absolute fear in his eyes.

The demonic red faded from Rei's eyes, and instead was replaced by tears. "H-he k-killed K-Kai," Rei choked, "Tyson k-killed K-Kai."

Kenny gasped. He ran over to Kai's bloody body and checked for a pulse. He checked Kai's breathing.

"He's not dead Rei. He's in a coma. His pulse is very faint. He's barely breathing, but he's alive."

Rei got up off of Tyson and carefully walked toward Kai. "You can't leave us now, you're our leader."

Tyson got up as well, turned, and walked away. Max and Kenny approached Rei, but they got put down with a "Please, leave. I want to be alone." The blond and the brown-haired boys left the room.

Rei traced his fingers lightly over Kai's pale face. He traced his fingers over the firm muscles of Kai's body, gently brushing against them with his fingertips.

"You're so beautiful. Even if your eyes aren't open. I love you Kai. Don't leave me now. Please."

Washing the blood off of Kai was difficult. More blood just kept flowing. It was impossible to avoid the cuts because there wasn't anything NOT cut. Rei finally gave up and laid cool, damp towels over Kai's body to soak up the blood. He had to change them about every thirty seconds because the white towels were no longer white. They were completely soaked through to every corner, every edge in blood.

"Where am I?" Kai asked into the void of nothingness around him. It was a strange place; blank, but not white nor black. There was no colour, but what was he looking at then?

"You're in the place where you're stuck in between life and death."

"Who said that?" Kai interrogated further.

"I'm your guardian angel."

"Why can't I see you?"

"You can. Actually, you're looking at me right now."

Kai shifted his gaze slightly, just so he could see a speck of light floating around in the air.

"Is that you?" Kai asked the speck.

"Yep."

"Okay then. Why am I here?"

"To decide if you want to give up hope and die, or fight to live. This is a place of struggle. If you give up, you won't have a chance of living, but if you fight, there's a 50 chance of life for you."

Kai thought for less that a second. He immediately made his choice.

'_Why am I fighting to live,_

_If I'm just living to fight?_

_Why am I trying to see,_

_When there ain't nothing in sight?_

_Why am I trying to give,_

_When no one gives me a try? _

_Why am I dying to live,_

_If I'm just living to die?_

**-From: Runnnin' by Tupac Feat. Notorious B.I.G.**

(A/N: I just really like that quote. I put it in. It's my second favourite. My favourite is; "You have to be cruel to be kind; I'm known for my kindness."

Bffimagine: What does Kai have in mind? Hmmm…

Kai: I know what I have in mind I choose to mouth gets covered by bffimagine

Bffimagine: Before Kai gives away any more, REVIEW!


	3. Kai's Return

Bffimagine: Never mind. I have a headache again.

Kai: Stop having those. You're scaring me.

Bffimagine: I can't help it.

Kai took his decision into action on impulse. He immediately plunged into his body and forced himself to breathe.

"Don't die, please, stay with me," Rei murmured, stroking Kai's cold hand within his own.

"Tyson… how could you?" Max whispered as he wiped away a stray tear.

"I hate you," Tyson seethed toward Kai, "I hope you burn in hell."

"Tyson!" Kenny elbowed Tyson in the ribs.

Rei seemed to stop completely. His eyes went demonically red and he was shaking with unknown rage.

"You know what you've done, don't you Tyson? And you're proud of it too, aren't you?" he hissed quietly.

"Rei! Just let it go. Saving Kai is more important," Kenny whispered, trying to calm his teammate.

"Let it go? How could I let this go? HE TRIED TO KILL KAI! I will NOT forget about this!" Rei turned to Tyson, "I hope his blood stains your soul so you're sent to hell. You deserve it."

Rei's red eyes were filled with blurry tears.

"I hate you Tyson. I hate you."

Even though Rei meant his words, they still hurt.

'Why Kai? Why does it hurt so much?'

Rei turned back to Kai.

'It hurts Kai. It hurts.'

"Get out of here. I don't want to see your face." Rei turned his head away from Tyson.

'Why does it hurt? Why does it hurt so damn much? WHY?'

"Rei…"

Rei picked up his head in surprise.

"Kai?"

Max and Kenny bowed their heads and carried Tyson out of the room.

"I hate you Kai! I hate you! Die! Leave the world so that we can sleep without knowing you're breathing and alive! DIE!" Tyson shrieked and screamed.

Rei stood up, fists shaking with rage. He picked up the bloody knife Tyson had thrown aside after cutting Kai. The charged toward Tyson, sinking the blade into the soft flesh beneath his spleen.

"See what pain feels like Tyson? See what Kai had his whole life?" he seethed.

Tyson cried out in agony.

"Rei! Stop this!" Max shouted.

Rei twisted the knife.

"This was what Kai's life was. Going on and on, just it was much worse than this Tyson. But you know what? You'd never know that! You'd never know past the cold leader everyone else sees! Want to know why? BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE A HEART!"

Rei's eyes filled with tears again and he slid the knife out of Tyson's torso.

"Go away. I never want to see your face again."

"Oh, and I'm going to give up that easily?"

Rei turned around.

"Y-You're not Tyson," he stuttered, "who are you?"

Max and Kenny dropped Tyson and scuttled behind a sofa.

"Guess."

Rei's eyes grew wide and he responded hoarsely, "B-Boris?"

Tyson smirked. Suddenly a bright purple light emitted from his eyes, Boris' putrid soul removing itself from Tyson's body.

"Very quick Rei. I'm impressed."

"B-Boris? I thought you'd never show your face again."

Boris looked puzzled then looked behind Rei.

"Kai? You're alive? No matter. I'll do away with you, just like how your good-for-nothing grandfather did away with me!" Boris cackled and dived into Rei's body.

"I'm back because I seek revenge. Once I kill you I will rest in peace."

Max and Kenny shivered and cautiously made their way over to Tyson.

"What do you want with Rei?" Kai winced.

"I think I'll have a little fun with you first. I'll kill cat-boy little by little, just to watch you suffer. This will be fun." A trademark Boris smirk crossed Rei's lips.

Kai grimaced at the ugly look on Rei's face. A look that didn't suit him at all.

"You see Kai, once Tala lost to you, I was severely punished. I paid for the loss, _with my life._ Now I'll make you pay with yours and your friend's."

Boris picked up the knife Rei had discarded and set it to Rei's index finger.

With a swift, quick motion, Boris cut off Rei's finger. Rei screamed in agony, Boris allowing him that much control over his own body.

Kai's fingers twitched with anger, blood dripping off the tips from all his wounds.

"Leave him. Kill me and leave him alone."

"So. You'd sacrifice yourself for this boy? I see you've grown soft Kai. Soft and weak. Well then, I'll finish this quick."

Boris smirked and drove the knife right through Rei's heart.

"REI!" Kai yelled, tears mingling with his blood.

Boris escaped from Rei's body as it hit the ground.

Kai dropped to his knees by Rei's body. He closed the golden orbs he had gazed into for long minutes at a time. The eyes that held tears for him, the eyes that held anger for his actions. The eyes that held worry for his well-being, the eyes that held happiness for his life.

Boris smiled and dove into Max and picked up the crimson knife. He walked over to Kai, wiping the knife. He savoured his revenge as he stabbed Kai through his heart. Kai was dead before he hit the ground, but his eyes were open long enough to see Boris licking the blood off the blade, and to take one last glance at Rei…

'I'll be back for you Rei… Wait for me…'

bffimagine: That was FOUR MS Word pages.

Kai: Who cares about that right now? What about me? What happens next?

Bffimagine: I'll tell you later so that these reviewers can't hear.

Kai: Damn.

Bffimagine: Hey! I thought you didn't like my fics!

Kai: I guess I got used to them.

Bffimagine: glares at Kai

Kai: OKAY FINE! I really, really like them. I just don't like the fact that you kill me okay?

Bffimagine: MUCH better.


	4. Owarita Desu

Bffimagine: Yet another headache, yet another chappie.

Kai: Is this the last chapter?

Bffimagine: blinks Do you want it to be.

Kai: No. I just want to know how long this will go on for.

Bffimagine: Well, that depends on how I want to end this story.

Kai?

Bffimagine: As in, if it ends sadly, then it doesn't take that much effort. I'm good at those. But if I decide to make it fluffy, then, er… I dunno.

Kai: Just stop rambling and get on with it!

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Kai's POV

The light… so close… and yet so far. Every step I take makes me become farther…

Normal POV

The light beckoned to Kai, ushering him in. But he became farther and farther.

And then… white. Pure, endless white.

"Where am I?" Kai asked the strange void of nothing.

"In your mind," his own voice replied.

"What am I doing here?"

"You're going to make a choice."

"Another one?"

"Yes."

"What choices do I have this time?"

"Either you, hem, we, can live, or we give Rei the chance."

"How is this possible?"

Kai's own voice chuckled in his ears.

"You're a good leader, but no one appreciated your work as captain. However, beings from above have favoured you for doing good deeds."

Kai could feel himself smile.

"I'm going to have to pass up this chance," he sighed, "And give it to Rei. Can I see him before I pass on?"

"Well… I suppose, but for a limited amount of time."

"How do I get to him?"

"I'll get you there."

"Who are you?"

"Your celestial guardian. Your conscience."

'I am a nutcase,' Kai thought sarcastically.

"I heard that."

"Just let me see Rei."

"It is done."

"Rei?"

Rei turned his head toward the voice.

"Kai?"

Every sound they made echoed eerily of the 'walls'. It was so blinding white that both of them blinked a few times before they could see.

"Rei, listen. You can live, if you really believe you can. If you just fight to live, you'll make it."

"What about you?" Rei looked into Kai's eyes hopefully.

"I can't go. One of us is allowed to go back, and I want it to be you."

"But we need you Kai! I need you."

"I need you Rei, but I can wait. Boris caused you too much hardship. You're going to live a happy life from now on."

"I can't wait for you. Don't leave me. Please, don't leave me."

"I love you Rei. When your day comes, you'll return to me."

"I love you Kai! I can't let you go!"

Rei reached forward and grasped Kai's hand. Kai held him close.

"Why are you so cold?" Rei asked, dreading the answer.

"Both of us," Kai looked away, "are dead."

Rei gasped, disbelieving.

"No," he whispered.

"That's why I was telling you to live. You can go back."

Rei placed his hand of Kai's chest.

'No heartbeat… is he really dead?'

His trembling fingers slowly placed themselves on his own chest.

'I don't have a heartbeat either. WHY DON'T I HAVE A HEARTBEAT!'

"Don't be afraid. You can go back. I'll wait for you."

"NO! I don't want to leave you!"

Kai smiled sadly.

"You have to go back. You have to live."

"I can't go without you!"

Rei grabbed Kai's hand and held it tight, feeling it get warmer, yet slip slowly from his grasp. The tighter he held, the farther Kai slipped away, until he couldn't feel Kai's long, thin fingers in his hand anymore.

"Kai," he sobbed.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Rei opened his eyes.

"Was it just a dream?" he breathed almost silently.

His breath caught in his throat when he saw Kai's mangled body lying on the ground, surrounded by a pool of blood about an inch deep.

Rei crawled over to Kai and cradled his head in his lap.

A sharp pain ran through Rei's heart, and he looked down at his own body.

Blood was petering out of a hole in his heart, but it was closing and healing with incomprehensible speed. Even his finger somehow came back, the flesh materializing in a strange way.

Soon the wound was fully healed and the blood disappeared from Rei's skin.

"Kai… Wait for me. I'll be there for you."

"REI! We thought you died when Boris stabbed you! But… you don't have any cuts or anything," Kenny began his 'this is virtually impossible!' speech.

"Listen Rei, I'm sorry for what I said to Kai. If it helps any, I didn't mean any of it, and in my defence, Boris made me say that stuff and… well, do what I did to Kai." Tyson bowed his head as he asked for forgiveness.

"You didn't mean it. But if I ever see Boris again, that guy is in for it."

"Oh uh, about that," Max muttered, "Boris disappeared after Kai died."

"You won't be sinking your claws into him this time Rei."

Rei nodded and picked Kai up.

Max grimaced as he watched blood stream off of Kai's fingertips and the edges of his hair.

"I'm going to go back to China and live in my homeland. I have nothing attaching me to Japan anymore, so I'm going home. Good luck guys."

"WHAT? But WE'RE attaching you to Japan! How can you leave us? How can you leave your friends?" Tyson retorted.

He lunged forward and clutched Rei's ankle in as much of a death-grip as he could muster.

Rei looked down at Tyson's hands over his ankle and blinked away his tears.

"I'll miss you guys. Goodbye."

Rei's foot slipped out of Tyson's grip, and he walked off with Kai in his arms.

"Come back to me Kai. You said you'd be there."

OWARI

bffimagine: Typical. Just typical.

Kai: What?

Bffimagine: My fic. So typical of me.

Kai: You killed me again. But for some reason, it doesn't bother me that much.

Bffimagine: Hey! You're finally getting used to this. Well, THANKS FOR READING EVERYBODY!


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